All Chapters of The Don's Daughter: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

VITTORIA'S POVHome didn’t feel the way I expected it to.I thought there would be relief; a rush, a release, something more cinematic. A moment where my body would finally allow itself to collapse now that the danger was over.Instead, it felt… quiet.It felt heavier than I expected.Like the world had slowed just enough for the weight of the last twelve hours to catch up to me all at once.I stood under the shower longer than necessary, water cold enough to sting as it ran over skin still sore from old wounds and new ones. Blood spiraled down the drain in thin rust-colored ribbons. I watched it disappear like it meant nothing.It didn’t bother me.What bothered me was how my hands shook when I turned the water off.How annoying.When your body's adrenaline wears off completely, making each movement harder than it needed to be. My hand's always shook when I pushed myself too far. It was the only time they ever did that. I step out of the shower, naked and clean, to look at my refle

VITTORIA'S POVI woke when the engine of the car turned off.Not gradually. Not gently.One moment there was vibration beneath me, the low hum of motion, Matteo’s steady driving threading through my awareness like background noise. The next; stillness. Silence. Weight settling.My eyes opened instantly.I didn’t reach for a weapon. I didn’t tense.That was how I knew where I was.Back seat. Leather. Matteo’s car. My boots still on. My body folded awkwardly but comfortable enough that I must have slipped under without noticing.I hadn’t realised I’d fallen asleep.That alone should have bothered me more than it did.The door handle clicked softly as Matteo shifted in the driver’s seat. I caught the faint scent of coffee; cheap, bitter, gas station coffee. He turned slightly, checking the rearview mirror.“Good morning, sleepyhead.”I blinked once, then rolled my head toward the window, squinting against daylight bleeding in through the glass. It must be mid-afternoon now.“How long?”

VITTORIA'S POVI woke up in a queen bed I didn’t recognise.White sheets. Crisp. Untouched by anything but sleep. The room is minimalist to the point of being almost empty; pale walls, a low dresser, one narrow window letting in muted morning light. No art. No personal touches. Nothing that demanded anything from me.It took a moment to remember where I was.Matteo’s property.Safe.I should have felt well rested.But I didn’t.My body felt like a train wreck; heavy, sore, bruised in places that ache deep into the bone. Exhaustion clung to me, thick and stubborn, even though I barely slept. I tossed and turned all night, drifting in and out of shallow, restless half-dreams that never quite let me go.I knew this would happen.After everything, my body needs time to heal. It’s going to take time. Weeks, maybe months before I feel better.There’s nothing I can do about that.I just need to take it easy for a while.So I layed there for a while, staring at the ceiling, breathing slowly u

VITTORIA'S POV “I couldn’t stay,” I said quietly. “I couldn’t lie to you. And when you looked at me, when you thought I killed them, I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stand you seeing me like that.”The words hung between us, fragile and sharp all at once.Nikolai didn’t speak.He just stood there, staring at me like he was trying to decide whether I was something to protect or something to destroy. His jaw was tight, his shoulders rigid, anger rolling off him in waves so thick I could almost taste it.I hated that look.I hated that it still affected me.I had survived worse than his anger. Worse than his disappointment. But this — this was different. This was the man I had married, the man whose opinion of me mattered more than I wanted to admit.“You ran,” he said finally.It wasn’t a question.I lifted my chin. “Yes.”“You disappeared. You let me think you were gone. You let me think Matteo Costello had taken my wife and hidden her from me.”His voice dropped on Matteo’s name.Jeal

VITTORIA'S POVHis lips stayed on mine, slow and deliberate, as if he is memorising me.The world outside this room felt distant, and unreal, like it belongs to another life I briefly stepped out of and might never return to. Here, there is only him. The weight of him. The gravity of the decision I am making.Nikolai’s hands settled at my waist, firm and warm, before I knew it, his gripped tightened and he lifted me up. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as his hands moved down to my ass. He squeezed my ass possessively before he began to move. He strode into the hallway, still kissing me, still carrying me, he was walking. I was too deep into the kiss to even notice that we were in our bedroom.He kicked our bedroom door shut, he was still kissing me, pouring everything he could into this kiss now. I was too, I pouring all my want and desire into the kiss. He finally walked over to our bed and dropped me on to the mattress, I let myself fall back, the sheets were cool